What About The Law ?

Earlene Davis

The Law is the subject of Romans chapter 7. Many believers go to extremes about the Law. Some argue that since we are saved by grace, we are free to live as we please. While others argue, We are saved by grace, but must live under Law to please God. Both are not according to the Word of God. Apostle Paul answered the first group in Chapter 6, which we covered in the last issue.

Paul answers the second group in this chapter. The belief that we can become holy and please God by obeying laws is legalism (measuring spirituality by a list of do’s and don’ts). The problem is seeing sins (plural), but not sin the root of the trouble (judging the outward and not the inward). Many believers don’t understand Law or grace.

Through the years I have observed both extremes and the sad consequences. Some who have tried so hard to live holy by their self-efforts succeed for awhile, but then fail causing them to be pretenders or they give up trying and become worldly. Legalists are extremely hard on others, critical and unforgiving. If the truth of Romans Chapter 7 is understood and applied, it will deliver the believer from legalism. This chapter continues the subject that began in chapter 6:15, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” 

Paul uses the illustration of a husband and wife to show the believers new relationship to the Law because of our union with Jesus Christ, Vs. 1-6. When a man and woman marry, they are united for life in a physical union (Gen. 2:24, “the two shall be one flesh.”) It can only be broken by a physical cause, like death. Mt. 5 & 19 indicate unfaithfulness also breaks the marriage bond. But Paul is not teaching marriage and divorce here. He is simply using marriage to illustrate a point. As long as they live, the husband and wife are under the authority of the law of marriage. But if the husband dies, she is free from the authority of the law, the husband’s death broke the marriage relationship.

Two facts explain the believer’s relationship to the Law. The believer has become dead to the Law by the body of Christ (V. 4). Before we were saved, we were under the authority of God’s Law and condemned by it. When we trusted Christ and were united to Him, we died to the Law, just as we died to the flesh (Ch. 6). The Law did not die, we died. When we trusted Christ, we died to the Law, but in Christ, we arose from the dead and are now married, united to Christ to live a new kind of life.

The Law still rules over men, but it no longer has dominion over us. We are not lawless for we share Christ’s life, walking in newness of life (Rom. 8:4, “That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit”). In the old life we brought forth fruit unto death, but in the new life of grace, we bring forth fruit unto God. Now the motivation of our life does not come from the Law, but from  God’s grace.

The second fact (V. 6, “But now we are delivered from the Law.” The Law cannot exercise authority over a dead person. God’s commandment were written on stones, but  under grace, God’s Word is written in our hearts (II Cor. 3:3).

We are told the ministry of the Law in Vs. 7-13. Paul said, “I had not known sin, but by the Law.” It shows how dirty the old nature is. Paul uses coveting, an inward attitude, not outward actions. Covetousness leads to the breaking of the other commandments. The sin of coveting, seems never recognized by people in their own lives, but God’s Law reveals it. Vs. 8-9 tell how the Law arouses the sinful nature. It wrought in him all manner of concupiscence or evil desires, the commandment came, sin revived and I died. Our old human nature wants to rebel when a Law is given. Rom. 8:7, “The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be.”

The church in Galatia were very legal and they experienced all kind of trouble (Gal. 5:15). There legalism did not make them more spiritual, but more sinful. Vs. 10-11 says “the Law slew me.” The Law cannot give life, it only shows the sinner he is guilty and condemned. Be aware of various Philosophies in books and seminars, etc. No human leader can take the place of Christ and no book can replace God’s Word. Vs. 12-13, the Law shows the sinfulness of sin. We excuse our sins as weakness, but God would have us to know how wicked sin really is and that we are to oppose it and live in victory. The problem is not with the Law, but our sinful nature.

Vs. 14-24, we are informed of the inability of the Law. The Law is holy  just and good, it came from a holy God. It reveals God’s holiness and helps us to see our need for a Savior. The old nature knows no Law, the new nature needs no Law. To live under the Law will only activate the old nature, but will not eradicate it. It cannot enable you to do good. Three times Paul states that sin dwells in us (Vs. 14,18,20, referring to the old nature). The believers mind, will and body can be controlled either by the old nature or the new nature. The believers self efforts cannot do the good he wants to do and does the evil he does not want to do. 

This is a different problem from Chapter 6, there it was “How can I stop doing bad things?” Here it is “how can I ever do anything good?” The legalist says, “Obey the Law: WRONG, the Law cannot enable us to do good, or set you free. We can determine, “I will not do this any longer, What happens? By willpower, we succeed for a time, but then fall again. We cannot overcome the old nature with self-effort. But the inward man delights in the Law, the old nature delights in breaking it. We discover our best is not good enough.

Is there any deliverance? Vs. 24-25, There is One who shall deliver us, Jesus Christ our Lord! Praise God! Because we are united to Christ and alive to God, we can draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit. The explanation of this victory is given in Chapter 8 which I hope to write about in the next issue of Glorious Gospel. I will chose with V. 18 of our chapter, “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” Jn. 5:16-18; Phil. 3:3. 

If we yield to the Holy Spirit, we have the power needed to obey God’s will. Just as we are dead to the old nature, we also are dead to the Law. Phil. 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.”